Facebook is adding information leaflets to posts about vaccines as it expands efforts to counter false information related to COVID-19 success on its platforms.
Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a blog post Monday that there will be “reliable information” about the vaccines from the World Health Organization. They will be in English and five other languages, with more languages being added in the coming weeks.
“For example, we are posting a leaflet discussing the safety of COVID-19 vaccines which notes that COVID-19 vaccines undergo safety and efficacy testing before approval, “Zuckerberg said.
Facebook and Instagram have been criticized for allowing anti-vaccine propaganda to spread and for being slow in reducing the misinformation, often with intelligence checks, leaflets and other deterrent measures.
“This news falls far short of what is needed to resolve the anti-vaccine crisis contaminating social media users’ timelines,” said Imran Ahmed, Head of the Nonprofit Center for to oppose digital hatred, which criticizes how social media companies have handled hate speech and misinformation.
“Facebook and Instagram will still not remove most posts reported for including false information about vaccines,” she said. “Key defenders are against vaccination. still present on Instagram or Facebook, despite promises to send them in. And the evidence shows that the way Facebook sends leaflets to posts will not have the slightest impact. ”
WHICH CAN: This is how Facebook is testing a method for users to make money through stories
For years, Facebook and other social platforms have allowed anti-vaccine propaganda to succeed, making it difficult to dispel those feelings now. And their efforts to eradicate other types of COVID-19 misinformation – often with information reviews, information leaflets and other measures limited, have been very slow.
The Associated Press recently identified more than a dozen Facebook pages and Instagram accounts, both of which boast millions of followers, who have made false claims about the COVID-19 vaccine or discouraged people from taking it. Some of these pages have been around for years.